The Steinbach Pistons made a pair of deals with the Selkirk Steelers on Wednesday.

Steinbach acquired defenceman Spencer Penner for Owen Weihs, the MJHL list rights to Lucas Gilson, and Future Considerations. 

Also, the Pistons picked up goalie Cole Plowman for Future Considerations.

Coming off a year where he had 3 goals and 19 assists for 22 points in 30 games with the Steelers, Penner hopes his game can keep growing in all areas. "I model my game as a two-way defender. I can jump up in the rush, I can stay back and defend. I play hard and I want to win every single night."

Penner talked about how he found out about the move. "I was actually at work when my phone rang and it was my coach from Selkirk (Hudson Friesen) and then about six minutes later, I got a call from Paul (Dyck). Paul was actually in Estevan taking in the Centennial Cup and his service wasn't the best, he was actually breaking up the whole time. He called me back an hour later and I was a little nervous as I waited. More excited though."

Current Pistons forward Ty Paisley has been a long-time friend of Penner's but this is the first time ever they've been on the same team. "I got to school with him and I've known him pretty much my whole life. This would be our first year playing together, it's always been against each other, so that's pretty exciting."

Having so much family close is also a big boost for the 18-year-old defender. "It's awesome. Getting to play in front of family and friends is going to be special. I'd love to bring a championship to my home area. I want to win every night and battle with the fellas. My family is super excited. My grandpa was a season ticket holder, so I think he's gonna be pretty excited upstairs."

For Plowman, a 19-year-old goaltender from Winnipeg, he knew a change was coming but when he found out he would be heading to Steinbach, he was overjoyed. "It took about a week to get all sorted out. The Steelers and I agreed maybe a trade would be best for both sides and it was Wednesday when he called and said he and Paul agreed to something. To hear Paul call Thursday morning, was just awesome. It's a great opportunity for me and I couldn't be more excited."

Playing in 29 games last year, Plowman put up a record of 13-11-3 with a save percentage of .895 and a goals-against-average of 3.32.

Plowman says he learned a lot in his first year and is ready to take the next step. "Basically, I thought it was all about consistency. I understood and knew my skill level was good enough for this league, I just had to understand that consistency was the main important thing. I came in every game and did things to try and reach a level where I could succeed in this league."

Coming into a program that has a track record of success, Plowman says he can't wait to be a part of it all. "It's something that I love. Who doesn't want a coach that believes in you? I'm coming in and I want to win with this organization. That's my goal here, to win. Let's win a championship next year. I can't wait for September, I'm just so excited."

On top of team success, Plowman has noticed just how many goalies have moved onto the next level of hockey after spending time in Steinbach. "Playing division one hockey has always been in the back of my mind. Steinbach was high on my list for that reason. I wanted to come to a winning organization. Good coach, good fans, and a team that has tons of eyeballs on it. It's good to know I have an opportunity here and if I make the most of it, work hard, do what I need to do, it's possible."

Both Penner and Plowman got a taste of what playoff hockey in Steinbach was like in round 1. Plowman says he's looking forward to being on the other side of the rivalry now. "It was actually really cool to see how people are engaged. The whole community comes out to support the team, it's really awesome to see. Everyone wants the Pistons to win. Makes us as players want to win even more."